Speech of HH The Amir at the Official Dinner Banquet held by French President

Your Excellency President Emmanuel Macron
Mrs Macron,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to thank you, Your Excellency Mr. President, for your cordial remarks and the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to me on this day in your wonderful country.

Since my arrival in Paris, I have witnessed the ongoing preparations to host in a few months the Olympic Games, which are reminiscent of the preparations we made before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

We watched the excellent performance of the French team in Qatar, and I still remember your presence Mr. President at the final match and the semi-final match with the Moroccan national team as well.

We are grateful to France for the support it offered us in the areas of tournament security during our preparations and through the tournament itself. Now we are carrying out security cooperation with France during its hosting of the Olympic Games, and we look forward to attending and cheering on the athletes in this ancient tournament.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The strategic partnership between France and Qatar is multidimensional. Diplomatically, we work closely to bring about peaceful solutions to various global disputes.

Currently, France and Qatar are working on daily basis to bring peace and justice to the current Middle East conflict.

The current stakes have never been higher. The world is witnessing the genocide of the brotherly Palestinian people by means of weaponizing starvation, forced displacement and indiscriminate bombing. The international community has failed to adopt a unified position to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, and provide the minimum protection for children, women and civilians. And as we work against the clock to return Israeli hostages to their families, we must put an end to the suffering of the brothers in Palestine.

Our dear friend,

France is a beacon of liberty and equality, and I cannot think of a stronger partner in Europe to lobby for justice when it comes for the Palestinian and Israeli states.

This joint diplomacy between our two countries in various regions spanning across decades means that France and Qatar are more than partners. We are rather dear friends before becoming partners. This partnership stretches across many more sectors to include military, defense, cultural, economic and energy aspects, etc.

As Europe is gripped by an energy crisis, QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies are working hand in hand to ensure providing Europe with the necessary energy supplies, as they also work around the globe to alleviate poverty and inequity in the field of energy.

Economically, we have reciprocal investments, including various projects that provide jobs and economic opportunities in our two countries. In Qatar, there are almost 500 French companies, including the one that participated in building Doha metro system.  Qatar’s Investment Authority invests in several areas including infrastructure, hospitality, health sector and technology in France.

We also agreed during our discussions today to increase the investments of the State of Qatar in France by 10 billion euros, which will be directed to strengthening the strategic economic partnerships between the two countries, as it will also represent an important source for our investment returns for future generations, which we choose only on profitable economic grounds that benefit our two friendly countries and peoples.

Our cultural and sporting ties are very remarkable, in addition to our endeavors in the field of education, as well as cooperation in the field of holding museum exhibits and artist support programs.

Mr. President,

We have hope for the future, hope for promoting the mutual friendship between France and Qatar, and hope on our shared efforts with the international community to bring peace and prosperity to the world.

Thank you very much.